My Wife Always Wants to Run Away - Chapter 23

“Huh? You’re back already? I thought it was supposed to be midnight?”

Tang Jinzhi turned toward the door at the sound of it opening, finding Jie Xiangyi changing her shoes.

It’s not even midnight yet.

“We’re supposed to rest at 11:30,” Jie Xiangyi replied, slipping off her shoes and stepping inside. Her gaze lingered on Tang Jinzhi’s face for a fleeting moment before shifting toward the dining room.

The aroma of cooked food had greeted her the moment she entered.

Tang Jinzhi chuckled. “False alarm! You’ll have to wait another ten minutes. It’s best to eat after midnight.”

Jie Xiangyi followed her into the kitchen, a smile playing at the corners of her lips. She had deliberately estimated her arrival at midnight, hoping to get home a little earlier if everything went smoothly.

Zhang Yueqi called out from the kitchen, “Hurry, hurry! Just one more dish!”

Seeing Zhang Yueqi wearing an apron, Jie Xiangyi’s eyes widened in surprise. “What’s going on here?”

Tang Jinzhi, who was filming Zhang Yueqi with her phone, casually explained, “She wanted to learn how to make scrambled eggs with chives. It’s simple, so I let her handle it.”

Jie Xiangyi was surprised. “She asked you to teach her?”

Tang Jinzhi nodded calmly. “Yes, she listened to all my instructions. It’ll be fine.”

Jie Xiangyi glanced around the room, then at the dishes on the table. “Were you in the kitchen all morning? Aren’t you tired?”

“Not at all. It’s a hobby, so it’s relaxing. Besides, I had a little helper.”

Jie Xiangyi smiled and leaned over to look at the phone. “So, what’s the video for?”

Tang Jinzhi glanced at Zhang Yueqi, who was diligently whisking eggs. After confirming everything was fine, she turned to Jie Xiangyi and explained, “She said she wanted to show her mom.”

Tang Jinzhi winked, signaling Jie Xiangyi to stop asking questions—their entire conversation was being recorded.

After a moment of silence, Jie Xiangyi reached out. “I’ll record then. You keep an eye on her.”

She’d seen plenty of videos of people struggling to cook.

Zhang Yueqi…

Well, it was hard to say.

Tang Jinzhi considered for a moment, then placed the phone in Jie Xiangyi’s hand. “Alright, but don’t worry. She learns quickly.”

Tang Jinzhi actually wanted to add that Zhang Yueqi had a natural talent for cooking, but since they were recording a video, she decided against it.

It wasn’t that she was afraid Zhang Yueqi’s mother would be upset if she heard Tang Jinzhi say her son was suited to be a chef. Rather, she feared the woman might immediately pack Zhang Yueqi off to work as a cook in a restaurant.

This was entirely plausible.

The final dish was prepared quickly. Tang Jinzhi watched from the side, noting that while Zhang Yueqi’s movements were a bit clumsy, there were no real problems—just a lack of practice.

As she portioned out the food for the three of them, she reminded Zhang Yueqi, “Alright, time to take it off the heat.”

Zhang Yueqi immediately turned off the stove.

I’m so nervous, I can barely speak, Tang Jinzhi thought.

Jie Xiangyi tilted her head, asking, “Should I stop recording now?”

Zhang Yueqi nodded vigorously, Please, hurry up!

Jie Xiangyi lowered her phone, but before she could put it down, Zhang Yueqi snatched it away.

“Quick, quick, I need to send this to my mom!”

Jie Xiangyi asked, “Shouldn’t we edit it first?”

She directed the question at Zhang Yueqi but looked at Tang Jinzhi. The footage included several shots of Tang Jinzhi.

Tang Jinzhi shrugged. “It’s fine. Let her send it as is.”

Those were all evidence—proof of how well she cared for Zhang Yueqi, nurturing his interests and hobbies. She was such a good person, never making the boy work for free.

“Alright, let’s eat.”

Jie Xiangyi’s earlier gloom lifted considerably. Feeling like she could still contribute at home made her genuinely happy.

At the hospital, Song Xiaoci wasn’t the only one who got scolded by their supervisor; Jie Xiangyi received a lecture too. She’d rather be scolded than lectured.

Who feels good after being lectured?

Home was better.

The three of them didn’t start eating until Zhang Yueqi had taken a few photos of the table.

Tang Jinzhi glanced at the time and asked Jie Xiangyi, “How long can you rest? Will you be late?”

Jie Xiangyi considered it. Although she had plenty of time off, she usually stayed at the hospital during her breaks, just in case something urgent came up.

“I’ll head back after eating and finish work at five.”

Tang Jinzhi nodded, then asked, “Five in the afternoon or five in the morning?”

The fact that Tang Jinzhi even needed to ask made Jie Xiangyi silently mourn for herself for two seconds.

“…Afternoon.”

Every day, she took time to reflect on why she had chosen to study medicine.

Tang Jinzhi glanced at Jie Xiangyi’s bitter expression and teased, “Then eat more ‘feed.’ Even livestock shouldn’t go hungry.”

Jie Xiangyi: “……”

Tang Jinzhi was attacking her.

Zhang Yueqi, holding his phone, looked up and mercilessly mocked, “Hahahaha! I made that ‘feed’!”

Jie Xiangyi shot him a glare. “Are you going to eat or not?”

She couldn’t scold Tang Jinzhi, but Zhang Yueqi? She could definitely scold him.

Hmph.

Tang Jinzhi’s gaze shifted to Zhang Yueqi. Her voice was gentle and slow, but her words were icy: “Still playing on your phone? Don’t want to eat? If you’re not eating, go clean the kitchen.”

Faced with pressure from both women, Zhang Yueqi briefly flared up in anger.

She gritted her teeth, put down her phone, silently picked up her bowl, and muttered under her breath, “Always defending his wife. As if only he can tease her. Tch.”

Jie Xiangyi secretly glanced at Tang Jinzhi out of the corner of her eye.

Tang Jinzhi picked up a piece of egg with her chopsticks and placed it in Zhang Yueqi’s bowl. “Eat your food.”

Then, deliberately provoking her, she added, “You little single dog should know your place. Of course only I can bully my wife.”

Zhang Yueqi: “……”

She didn’t want to argue anymore. Tang Jinzhi was completely immune to her teasing.

Jie Xiangyi quickly averted her gaze from Tang Jinzhi.

She lowered her eyes, pondering whether her advisor’s unprovoked scolding today counted as bullying.

“What are you thinking about?”

Jie Xiangyi was so lost in thought that Tang Jinzhi couldn’t help but notice.

Jie Xiangyi’s eyes flickered slightly as she asked softly, “Should I continue working at the top-tier hospital where I’m currently employed, or should I pursue a doctorate?”

Tang Jinzhi was mildly surprised by the sudden question. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “Aren’t you already planning to get your doctorate?”

Knowing Tang Jinzhi wasn’t familiar with the situation, Jie Xiangyi explained simply, “Opportunities to stay at this hospital are rare. Even if I get my doctorate, I might end up working here anyway.”

Tang Jinzhi frowned, realizing how difficult the decision truly was.

“What do you lean toward? Don’t compare yourself to your classmates. You don’t have the same financial pressures they do.”

Zhang Yueqi nodded vigorously from the side. “Exactly! So of course you should continue your studies!”

Jie Xiangyi sighed softly. “That’s what I think too, but my advisor disagrees. He called me into his office today specifically to lecture me—probably scolding me for not recognizing a good opportunity.”

Zhang Yueqi chewed her rice, looking puzzled. Was Jie Xiangyi complaining?

Complaining to her?

She quickly noticed Tang Jinzhi sitting across from them, looking somewhat angry.

Oh, well, I was being presumptuous. Jie Xiangyi wasn’t complaining to her at all; she was clearly venting to her wife.

Sigh~

Eating dog food with your meal—you only know the taste if you’ve been there.

Jie Xiangyi occasionally glanced at Tang Jinzhi’s face out of the corner of her eye, stealing secret looks at her.